wh40khomebrewfandomcom-20200215-history
Order of the Ashen Mantle
The Order of the Ashen Mantle are an order of the Adepta Sororitas that guards the Serein Sector of the Ultima Segmentum. Founded purely for military purposes, it has the dual duties of garrisoning the Brimstone Fortress and maintaining vigil over the Shrine World of Arxis II and the pilgrim route that leads to it. The former is a massive bastion and logistical nod that must remain in imperial hands to be able to support future large-scale conflicts and crusades. The latter is the birth world and resting place of a famous saint and Astra Militarum officer, Orellius the Opprobrious. History The story of the Order of the Ashen Mantle begins with that of the Brimstone Fortress, nested in the Divus Mons. This massive volcano, known for being one of the greatest in the entire sector, is probably Arxis V’s most defining feature. It is rumoured to have single-handedly and entirely extinguished the planet’s technology-regressed society a few centuries before it was rediscovered and repopulated during the Great Crusade. This was achieved through a centi-millennial eruption, encasing Arxis V in a permanent night of volcanic winter for nearly a decade. And while that particular event’s effects have of course since abated, the Divus Mons’ cruel and intense activity still constantly robs the planet of much of its sunlight and heat, filling its upper atmosphere with clouds of ashes. Though massive, near 20 miles above sea level, a collapse of the volcano’s peak created a caldera and slightly reduced its height sometimes during the 32nd millennium. The crater was noted for seeing little to no activity itself, secondary vents taking in most of the gas and lava flows. After an attack on the nearby Shrine World of Arxis II demanded a tighter hold on the system, the Adepta Sororitas started to fill the caldera with a massive bastion in 691.M37, seeing the many advantages of the location. Firstly, the Divus Mons itself is a natural and formidable fortification, dominating the entire landscape, and its constant and dangerous activity prevents the planet’s population from encroaching on its steep slopes, something which would grant cover to any advancing enemy force. Secondly, the crater heavily reduced the cost and complexity of the construction, having already carved out space within the mountain itself. The project quickly grew from a fortified monastery into a fully fledged fortress. That bastion would of course fulfill its initial role of defense of the system, but in addition, it would also give the Adepta Sororitas a foothold in that region of the galaxy. From there, the Imperium would be able to launch and sustain entire crusades, confident in the ability to retreat to indomitable fortification and easily defend its logistical rearguard. Even in times of peace, such a defensible position could also serve as vaults for precious artifacts or knowledge too dangerous for more mundane hands. For a time, the Inquisition even sought to make that bastion into an Inquisitorial Fortress, but the Adepta Sororitas refused, sternly devoting the planned citadel to the Imperium's war efforts. Most inquisitors operating in the sector, however, do know that there exists in the Arxis system a safe haven for faithful servants of the Emperors where they can seek refuge against any enemy, and from which punitive strikes can be launched. Foundations were deep and strong, specially designed so as to prevent eruptions from coming from underneath the planned bastion, redirecting gas and lava flows towards the sides. The technology employed is indeed not much different from that used in imperial ship hulls, expected to protect them against the many hazards of the void, many of which involve extreme pressures, temperatures and, of course, combat. However, in 853.M41 the entire structure did shift half a degree southward due to a particularly violent explosive eruption. At times, the lowest and most sacred halls are also uninhabitable for anyone not wearing a power armour, heated by volcanic activity. Yet the Brimstone Fortress, as it came to be aptly called, has endured the millennia and garnered a reputation as a bastion of rare resilience. When the Brimstone Fortress was finally finished in 713.M37, 22 years after its construction began, sisters of the Order of the Bloody Rose formed the core of the newborn Order of the Ashen Mantle while Progeniae of the nearby world of Pradoxis II added numbers to it. That particular Schola Progenium has since provided most of the Order's recruits. Because of its founding being motivated almost entirely by military matters, the Order of the Ashen Mantle does not have its own patron saint, and has relatively little veneration for Saint Orellius, despite the obvious link between the two. The Order of the Ashen Mantle hasn't made itself known much outside of the sector, its role being one of garrison and vigil first and foremost. That isn't to say that it hasn't played important roles throughout history, however. In fact, its very presence has been of great help to the Imperium, pacifying its surroundings and reducing their strain on the Imperium, dissuading uprisings and quelling rebellions before they escalate in scale. One event in particular did have bigger implications, however. In 999.M41, when the Cicatrix Maledictum tore through the galaxy, the Arxis system found itself nearby a minor passageway through it. In accordance to heretical scheming and battle plans, most planets of the system fell to rebel forces within weeks, and the Brimstone Fortress was soon besieged, last true bastion of the Imperium for light years around. Its fall would not only have meant the complete loss of the region and the gate through the Great Rift, but also the ability for the rebellious forces to use the formidable bastion and logistical nod for themselves. Had it not been for the tenacity of the Order of the Ashen Mantle and their miraculous distress call to the Convent Sanctorum, the passageway the Brimstone Fortress now defends would have been a constant thorn in the Imperium's side, and not one easily extracted. Traditions & Identity Sanguinae Spinae; Spineus Sanguis As the Order of the Ashen Mantle almost never goes to war as a single unit, usually employing reduced patrols and strike teams instead, its banner seldom leaves the Brimstone Fortress. Instead, it sits within the Inner Sanctum, where only the most sacred of rites and ceremonies are performed. All sisters of the Order of the Ashen Mantle are ordained before it, swearing fealty to Saint Mina through it, and through her to Alicia Dominica and the Adepta Sororitas she served both. The banner itself is a classical example of the Adepta Sororitas’ preference for devotional scenes over mere unit icons. Indeed, the woven relic isn’t identifiable at all as that of the Order of the Ashen Mantle without minute knowledge of its symbols and history. It is fact rare that an imperial citizen would be able to tell which saint is even represented, though the most devout would without mistake recognize Saint Mina’s death. On the banner, she sits already dead and martyred,covered in her own blood, her back to the altar she was praying upon. In her cold but still firm hand, her sword, its shine obscured by the noticeably darker blood of her assailants. Littered on the steps leading to her, black cadavers in pools of that same inky blood, her murderers that she cut down in droves before finally succumbing to their assault. Large concentric designs on the glasswork behind her form a symbolic halo around her head and feature the words “Sanguinae Spinae”. The stairs are themselves decorated with classical devotional prayers except one at the bottom which only reads “Spineus Sanguis”. Together, these words of High Gothic are the motto of the Order of the Ashen Mantle, usually translated to “Thorns of Blood; Blood of Thorns” in Low Gothic. They symbolize the fighting spirit of the Orders Militant, who bleed in their holy wars and bloody the foes of the Emperor in return. However, the banner ironically only ever saw combat seven times in its millennial history, but never was it disgraced with defeat or the hands of the enemy. Livery Straying far from the colours of the Order of the Bloody Rose, from which it was born, the Order of the Ashen Mantle uses one of the most simplistic livery. It is, in essence, a simple gradation from pure white, at the armour’s feet, to a dark shade of grey, at the helm and shoulders. Of course, some details, particularly ecclesiastical and imperial symbols, are exempt from that overall principle, and stay an immaculate white, untainted. This appearance is meant to mimic that of ash-covered clothes, as became evident during the construction of the Brimstone Fortress. Though one might think this is accidental, and to a degree, it is, the idea being after-all a product of the order monastery’s location, much thought was given to the liturgical implications of that livery. The first being that, knowing the layering of grey is meant to represent ash, the armour is intended to symbolically be entirely white, a token of purity and humility. Secondly, this inherently ties the Order of the Ashen Mantle to the Brimstone Fortress and, more accurately, the Divus Mons, the volcano in which the bastion rests, a very intended idea. And lastly, this reminds all sisters who bear those colours that losses and hardships, which ashes symbolize, they take with them wherever they go, tempered by them. As to more practical concerns, the layering is achieved through a particular process in which a dark powder, traditionally incorporating ash, is applied on the helmet and shoulders of a suit. The armour is then heated while held in a standing position; The mixture thus melts and slowly descends the entire height of the suit. After around two days, the substance will have reached the greaves, and the armour is taken out to cool off. At that point, it will naturally have created the intended layering, additionally concentrating on horizontal surfaces and accumulating in depressions, truly giving the impression of the suit having been coloured by ashfall. The robes are made through an entirely different method, simply using dyes to replicate the gradation. This is usually done after the suit has itself been coloured so that the two parts can accurately match. Indeed, the actual result of the tempering process used for the armour can vary, and it isn’t rare for sisters of the Order of the Ashen Mantle to be able to differentiate their comrades through these subtle changes alone. They are however very minute, and uniformity is very much maintained at a cursory glance. Lastly, symbols of importance are stripped of their colour via sanding, restoring them to a pure white. Mundus, Cineres, et Ignis Existing in a dangerous, hostile environment and often spread thin, the Order of the Ashen Mantle puts great emphasis on physical excellency, even amongst the notably trained sisters of battle of the Adepta Sororitas. For this reason, many of its honours are reflected upon the bodies of its members in the form of ritualistic scars. That practice is of course not unique, many orders exhibiting a tradition for scarification, but the method in which that is achieved is extremely specific. First, a design is created with an obsidian blade, symbolizing the earth’s refined shape and strength - and by proxy, the Holy Human Form’s. Then, it is filled with cold ash, representing the fear of a ruined Imperium and the loss experienced through war. And finally, the wound is cauterized by fire, a symbol familiar to any faithful servant of the God-Emperor. This produces an ash-coloured scar, the exact hue depending on that of the particular ashes used, sometimes employing different shades for the same piece to achieve more intricate designs. The result, both a scar and a tattoo, is quite often the work of a sister hospitaller whose dexterous hands and experience with scalpels lend themselves to the ritual. However, only those who have lived within the Brimstone Fortress for years if not decades are allowed to perform and sometimes even receive the honour as it is otherwise a practice reserved to the Order of the Ashen Mantle. Though only a handful of awards are tailored for this particular ritual, usually specific to the Order of the Ashen Mantle, it isn’t rare for it to be used for other, even more mundane designs. Some sisters even go as far as having their battle injuries reopened so they may be subject to the ritual. The Brimstone Fortress The Brimstone Fortress nominally only houses around 900 Daughters of the Emperor. Roughly 800 of them are sisters of battle, others hailing mainly from the Hospitaller Order of the Robed Hope. Sisters cartographicae and dialogus are also present, concentrating much of their local records in the fortress’ library and, for the most precious documents, its vault. The bastion can however welcome over ten times that number, along with the equipment, food and other logistical assets required by an entire crusade. In particular, it features the Hospital-Basilica of the Emperor-Saviour which at one point cared for over a thousand patients following the Saint Macharius Day Massacre. It is common belief in the system that this discrepancy between the sizes of the Brimstone Fortress and of the Order of the Ashen Mantle is due to the latter having been more numerous in the past. This is as a matter of fact erroneous, the sorority having even grown since its creation. The true reason for the Brimstone Fortress’ massive size is that it is one of many military citadels scattered around the galaxy maintained by the Adepta Sororitas. Their purpose is to serve as footholds and logistical centres for campaigns and crusades. Order of Battle and Armoury Hierarchy Because of its patrol duties and relatively small size, the Order of the Ashen Mantle possesses a high proportion of officers. This allows many independent forces to operate simultaneously, maintaining order and striking at different key points instead of fighting full-scale wars, something the small order would otherwise struggle with. This is evident when reviewing the records. As an example, in 996.M41, the Order of the Ashen Mantle's upper echelon was comprised of 1 Provostess, 21 Palatine-Praetors, and 18 Palatines. The most striking aspect of this being that the order possesses more Palatine-Praetors than Palatines, despite the former outranking the latter. The crucial difference being, however, that only Palatine-Praetors can officially lead missions of their own, while Palatines, despite nominally being commanders, must at all times be under the supervision of a higher officer under the arcane laws of the Adepta Sororitas. The Order of the Ashen Mantle, while it doesn't break with that ancestral - and sometimes contested if not ignored - rule of the Daughters of the Emperor, does go against the recommendations as to how much of an order should be comprised of each rank. This is but a necessary consequence of its role, constantly needing to spread thin to be able to cover an entire system with but 800 sisters. This creates a push for individuals noted for leadership to be promoted, and in particular the transition from Palatine to Palatine-Praetor to be very quick. As each Palatine-Praetor adds to the number of missions the order can sustain as a whole, it is of utmost importance for it to have many as possible to be able to respond to any threat, especially in times of emergency. Relics Gravamen: A Master-Crafted Power Glaive, Gravamen's shaft was cast around the left index of Provostess Dolona of the Order of the Ashen Mantle. Its name meaning “Burden” in High Gothic, it echoes one of Dolona’s quotes in her treaty, “The mantle of command is a heavy one; What your hand covers is within your responsibility, and what your finger points is forever alienated. To avoid those burdens is weakness, to exert them is to risk mistaking one for the other.”. Dolona’s successor and pupil, Ereline, had Gravamen made expressly to remember this lesson of her mentor. The other half of Gravamen was Ereline’s right gauntlet, Honestas, on which rested the bones of Dolona’s corresponding hand. Honestas ''was however buried with Ereline when she died at the venerable age of 310 years old, 197 of which were spent as a Provostess, and attained without the help of rejuvenation treatment, proof of her virtue. Since, ''Gravamen has come to be the symbol of office of the Order of the Ashen Mantle’s Provostesses. After 204 years spent in the hands of Ereline, her successor used the weapon too in honour of her predecessor and Dolona both. This was repeated many times, and by now, a Provostess using another weapon would break a tradition respected for over a millennia. This might however come to an end with Evelina, the current Provostess, who lost an arm during the Siege of the Brimstone Fortress in 999.M41. While she wielded Gravamen beforehand, and even after for ceremonial purposes, it is impossible for her to use the two-handed weapon in combat. Evelina last had it in hand in 000.M42, when she received Sententia, a one-handed sword, and passed down Gravamen ''to her second-in-command, symbolically naming her as her successor. Most do not consider that the tradition has been broken, since Evelina couldn’t reasonably keep using ''Gravamen, and has wielded it in the past. However, some argue that Sententia's history, inherently tied to the office of Provostess, gives it a claim at being the rank’s badge of office. This is a matter only Evelina's successor will be able to resolve, when she will have to choose which weapon to rise to the title with. Of course, past those symbolical concerns, another factor is Gravamen's splendid craftmanship. Its shaft of adamantium is engraved with a floral pattern, more accurately, the thorny stem of a rose, which also enhance the bearer’s grip on the weapon thanks to the relief. The tip of Gravamen is a long, obsidian-black double-edged blade, deadly when used to thrust or cut both, a lethality only exacerbated by the weapon’s dangerous reach. Its power field’s appearance has sometimes been likened to magma moving through the earth. The wide, red tendrils of energy it generates shift only slowly across the surface of the blade, pulsating regularly to the rhythm of the generator’s subtle inconsistencies. The blade itself is socketed into the adamantium relief of a rose which also houses the weapon’s generator and whose stem, the shaft itself, features a few thorns. They are however few and point slightly towards the weapon’s head so as to not render the weapon dangerous to its user. Finally, the shaft’s base is a small fleur-de-lys which isn’t powered but still sharp enough to penetrate an armour’s weak points with a good thrust, and can certainly be used simply for blunt trauma. Sententia: Following the Siege of the Brimstone Fortress, it fell to the Provostess of the Order of the Ashen Mantle to command various forces of the Adepta Sororitas to reconquer the Arxis system. It was also resolved that she, and anyone she would see fit to share that power with, would be granted summary authority over any judiciary matter that would arise from the campaign. This rare capacity was the result of an accord with the Inquisition and the Adeptus Terra, who agreed to grant these privileges to the Adepta Sororitas so as to avoid lengthening the process of trying so many heretics. Evelina, Provostess at the time and since, decided to share that ability with all Palatinae-Praetori under her command, including those not of her own order. This greatly quickened the ability of conquered worlds to resume normal activity, as Palatinae-Praetori could be found on every battlefields of the campaign, negating the need for transport or imprisonment in most cases. Only a few cases were deemed important enough to have them escalated to Evelina herself. As a symbol of that authority, however, the Inquisition and Adeptus Terra forged a sword bearing their marks and entrusted it to Evelina. Particular consideration was given to the fact she now missed an arm, meaning the weapon had to be one-handed, going against the tradition of ceremonial weapons being heavy, oftentimes even for two-handed use. The final design, Master Swordsmith Eikelon’s Sententia, was presented to Evelina nearly a year after the campaign had begun, but has since been seen on her on most occasions, replacing Gravamen. The glaive was consequently entrusted to Palatine-Praetor XXXXXX, ostensibly making her Evelina’s intended successor. It is however uncertain which weapon will go on as the Order’s Provostess’ symbol of office, as neither is formally enshrined thus, and both now have a close association with the title. Notable Members & Events Category:Adepta Sororitas Category:Adepta Sororitas Orders Category:Imperium